The Line Of Head And Its Secondary Signs

What are known as "islands" in the Line of Head are very important, especially if they are considered both in relation to the age at which they occur, and also in relation to the mentality itself.

In the first place the principal rule the student must bear in mind is, that islands must be considered as showing a weakness in any line wherever they may be found, and are to be considered unfortunate signs.

On the Line of Head when found in the form of a continuous chain (1-1, Plate IV.), all through the line, they denote mental weakness, but generally produced by ill-health which more immediately affects the brain.

Such mental weakness or "brain illness," if found with nails showing very small "moons" or none at all, denotes an anæmic condition of the blood that affects the brain, a low condition of vitality and bad circulation, which seems to starve the brain of blood and prevents such people from making any continuous effort in regard to study or will power, and causes them to act in an erratic fashion.

If at the same time the Line of Head is seen placed very high on the hand, this sign is worse still in its meaning, and such subjects are inclined to be "half mad" in periods.

When the Line of Head is widely separated from the Line of Life, then this chain formation of islands is still more accentuated and more difficult to cure. Such subjects have periods of mental excitability which it seems impossible for them to control, and in such moments they are liable to fly off at a tangent and commit mad or rash acts, but acts generally dangerous to other people.

When, however, the Line of Head is very sloping (2-2, Plate IV.), with this formation of islands the subject is inclined to have fits of depression and melancholy, during which he is likely to shrink away from people or make an attempt against his own life. "Suicide while temporarily insane" is the verdict of the jury in such cases.